The Power of Positive Thinking

Two years ago, a trip to the Doctor’s office confirmed my worst fear. I had breast cancer. In a heartbeat, the positive thinking, optimistic and carefree girl I had been for three+ decades was crushed.

The life I would never have flashed before me and I was sent to the darkest place in my mind I’ve ever been.

That night I went to bed, and of course struggled to sleep. The next day something unusual happened.

I woke up feeling ok. I mean, my first thought was hopeful that it was just a bad dream. Which it wasn’t. But I was ok. I felt good. I felt positive.

The Power of Thinking Positively

I decided to treat my diagnosis in the same way that I would any other challenge. I would research the facts, discover my options and forge a plan of attack. It was as simple as that.

When I broke the news to friends and family there was a running theme in their responses. “Stay positive”, they said. “You need to be positive about this for your kids”. No-one told me how to be more positive of course.

All well-meant advice but how many times has someone telling you to be positive actually resulted in that happening? If only it was that easy!

I mean, you could tell me your biggest concern right now and I could tell you to “be positive”, knowing full well that it will help you to be so. But I can’t actually make you think positively just by telling you so. I wish it was that simple.

During the past couple of years, since my diagnosis, there have been many times that I have felt everything other than positivity about my circumstances.

Why me?

What did I do?

I’m not going to make it.

I’ve cried, screamed, ranted and raved numerous times, although less and less as time goes by. It’s a rational reaction to the diagnosis and I’m not ashamed to share it.

However one thing that I’ve been told many times is how positively people have thought I’ve dealt with what has happened. And you know what, over all, I have been positive.

But it hasn’t always been easy to be. There have been times, as mentioned, when I’ve felt the opposite. No-one could have made me feel more positive, I had to force myself to be. In those times. I had to fake it until, magically, I actually started to feel ok again. It takes effort, but it works.

The law of attraction and a positive mental attitude goes hand in hand with this for me. If I think positively and if I put positivity out into the world, I feel it comes back to me. I feel and receive even more positivity. Sorry, I’ll leave the hippy-ness there!

But it had to come from within me.

Cancer aside, life is hard. Being a mum, a wife, running a home, being at work. All of these things are hard at times, stressful, challenging.

Now I know how to bring myself out of hard times though and to keep on moving. There’s a saying in cancer circles: “live one day at a time”. There’s a lot to be said to just focusing on getting through the day you’re already in.

That isn’t to say I don’t hope for the future too though now. I make plans, I imagine getting older, seeing my kids grow up. It all helps in keeping me going and feeling positive.

The power of positivity is responsible for helping me get through the past two years. Of course my medical team and my awesome friends and family had a huge hand in that too!

But for keeping my mind from visiting those dark places too often and for physically and emotionally getting through each day, it is the power of positive thinking.

What does this mean for you?

As much as I can’t tell you to be positive, I can give you some ideas on how you might feel more positive or at least how to think positive thoughts.

I would love to share some of the go-to things I do when I’m feeling sad, scared or angry.

This year I’ll be writing a little more about happiness, mental health, positivity and building confidence. I hope to share more of our lives with you and I want to learn more about you too.

More on this in the next few days :)

You don’t have to class yourself as a “positive person” to embrace the power of thinking positively. Surrounding yourself with happy people or intentionally thinking about the good things in life go a very long way in how to stay positive.

What do you to do feel more positive? Does it come naturally to you or not?

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Two years ago, a trip to the Doctor’s office confirmed my worst fear. I had breast cancer. In a heartbeat, the positive thinking, optimistic and carefree girl I had been for three+ decades was crushed.…